BEIRUT: Israel struck Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut on Tuesday in retaliation for rocket fire from Lebanon that killed 12 children over the weekend, saying it had targeted the commander responsible for the attack.

“The IDF (army) carried out a targeted strike in Beirut on the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous additional Israeli civilians,” the military said in a statement, referring to the Druze Arab town in the annexed Golan Heights where the children were killed on Saturday.

A source close to the Hezbollah group confirmed that “a leading commander” was the target of the strike, which hit near the group’s decision making body, the Shura Council.

The source added that two people were killed in the strike, but was unable to confirm if the commander was among them.

Minutes after the explosions rocked Beirut, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant posted on social media site X that “Hezbollah crossed the red line”.

Following Saturday’s strike, the international community had raced to head off any escalation that might tip the two into a first all-out conflict since 2006.

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said on Monday he had received assurances from international diplomats that there would be only a limited response.

“Israel will escalate in a limited way and Hezbollah will respond in a limited way… These are the assurances we’ve received,” Bou Habib said in an interview with local broadcaster Al-Jadeed.

Analysts said that they also expected Israel to temper its actions, with its leaders wary of having to fight a second war while its troops are still engaged in the Gaza Strip.

’There was further deadly violence earlier on Tuesday, with Israeli medics saying a 30-year-old civilian had been killed in the northern kibbutz of HaGoshrim. The military said it had killed a Hezbollah fighter during overnight strikes.

Druze residents of the Majdal Shams — the vast majority of whom have rejected Israeli citizenship and identify as Syrians — had opposed threats of retaliation for the deadly strike.

Scores of residents had come out to protest Netanyahu’s visit after the burial of the last of the victims of the rocket strike.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2024